Just stopping in to say Howdy, Custom. It's been a long time. Just started getting back on here. Glad to see you still around and looks as if things are going good for you. Good bro here, dudes, which I'm sure you all know.

There are many BCAA and intra-workout formulas currently on the market for you to choose from. The problem is, however, they all fall woefully short in providing a complete solution to help propel your workouts to be longer, stronger and more intense. Even worse is that the vast majority of these products use inferior-grade ingredients that only benefit their bottom line at the expense of your results. Why use an intra-workout product that does not work as hard as you do?

Strive is different. Formulated using only the very best ingredients in existence, Strive presents a complete performance solution designed to work as hard as you do. Absolutely no expense was spared in creating this unparalleled formula. Our only concern was constructing Strive so that it pushed your workouts to the next level and allowed you to come back bigger, stronger and faster than before.

Strive Starts with BCAA's...

We all know that BCAA's are the building blocks to any intra-workout formulation. BCAA's have been shown to elicit muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth), decrease muscle soreness and help athletes recover more quickly.

Sadly, however, not many people know that the wool is being pulled over their eyes in regards to what kind of BCAA's are being used to formulate their favorite product and how they are being charged a premium price for less-than-garbage quality ingredients.

...Ajinomoto iBCAA's

Quite simply, Ajinomoto produces the highest quality amino acids in the world. When you hear "pharmaceutical grade", most of the time, it is an empty marketing term. Not so with Aji-Pure iBCAA's. Strive uses the very same amino acids that are used daily around the world in IV solutions for the hospitalized, infant formulas and pharmaceutical preparations! Aji-Pure iBCAA's mix instantly with just a few stirs of a spoon. No more foamy mess and trying to choke down the dreaded BCAA chunks.

Did you know that most BCAA's being used in other formulations come from hair or duck feathers? It's true! And have you ever smelled BCAA's in their natural state? If you have, you know that they can smell absolutely rancid - even the ones that test out to be 'pure' on the standard supplier's COA. With this information in mind, you're probably asking yourself why in the world anyone would ever use anything other than pure Ajinomoto Aminos. The simple answer..."Follow the money". Aji-Pure iBCAA's cost about 2.5 times what normal BCAA's do. The fact is that not too many companies are willing to use these superior ingredients and cut their profit margins. Ask yourself, "What is more important; my health and athletic performance or some CEO writing himself a fat end-of-the-year bonus?". Now at least you know the truth!

The Only Hydrolyzed Protein that Matters - PeptoPro

Over the last year or so, you've probably seen a lot of companies incorporating the use of something called a hydrolyzed protein into their products. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that have undergone a process called hydrolysis. What hydrolysis does is breaks the protein down into tiny segments called di and tri peptides. These small peptides are absorbed much more readily and much faster than normal, intact protein, and have shown in clinical studies to promote muscle growth and recovery far more than normal protein ever could hope for. And you may have guessed by now, but PeptoPro has the absolute highest amounts of di and tri peptides in existence - over 60%!

Pretty cool, eh? But not so fast! Remember our greedy CEO and his unwillingness to sacrifice profits for product excellence? Well this same CEO is not using the patented Hydrolyzed Casein PeptoPro, which has numerous human clinical studies showing its superiority. No - most companies are using a generic hydrolyzed whey. Why whey? Again, follow the money. A typical hydrolyzed whey costs about 5-6 times less than the proven, patented PeptoPro. Worse still, most products using a hydrolyzed whey do not even tell you the percentage of di and tri peptides in their ingredient, only saying that information is 'proprietary'. Now if you were using an ultra-high grade ingredient, you would want to tell people about it, wouldn't you? Of course you would. Now admittedly, PeptoPro does not contain as many amino acids as a whey hydrolyze does (and the difference is absolutely miniscule at normal doses), but the fact that Pepto Pro absorbs far faster and far more efficiently than any whey currently available, still means that with PeptoPro you are delivering more amino acids to your muscles, period. PeptoPro is the undisputed king of hydrolyzed proteins, and it is backed by science.

Furthermore, PeptoPro is virtually flavorless and mixes instantly - two absolutely vital factors when drinking something that must be light and refreshing during a grueling workout. On the other hand, hydrolyzed whey (again what most companies are using) is so extremely bitter that it must be used in tiny amounts, or covered up with copious amounts of artificial flavoring. Beware of companies touting anything greater than a 15% hydrolyzed whey and it not tasting extremely bitter - something is not adding up. Besides, have you ever tried to drink a thick, bitter sludge-shake between your fourth and fifth sets of heavy squats? Forget about keeping that down! Strive has been formulated not only to be performance enhancing, but also refreshing to drink - a refreshing idea indeed!

Most everyone is familiar with Acetyl L-Carnitine. Fewer, however, are familiar with L-Carnitine Tartrate. All of that may change, however, as research begins to pile up demonstrating that L-Carnitine Tartrate is superior to Acetyl L-Carnitine at helping you recover from exercise and prevent muscle breakdown.

In controlled settings, LCLT showed the ability to greatly diminish muscle cell damage and muscle soreness after exercise. LCLT works in part by halting muscle catabolism during times of intense stress (such as weightlifting) thereby allowing you to workout harder, for longer periods of time. Starting to sense a theme here with the ingredients in Strive?

LCLT has also shown promise out of the lab and in the real world. Ask anyone who has a chance to use this great ingredient and all agree that LCLT is a rockstar.

DISCLAIMER: Anything that I post on this forum should not be taken as medical advice. Consult your doctor before starting new diets, supplements, training protocols, and/or if you have any concerns about your health.

There are many BCAA and intra-workout formulas currently on the market for you to choose from. The problem is, however, they all fall woefully short in providing a complete solution to help propel your workouts to be longer, stronger and more intense. Even worse is that the vast majority of these products use inferior-grade ingredients that only benefit their bottom line at the expense of your results. Why use an intra-workout product that does not work as hard as you do?

Strive is different. Formulated using only the very best ingredients in existence, Strive presents a complete performance solution designed to work as hard as you do. Absolutely no expense was spared in creating this unparalleled formula. Our only concern was constructing Strive so that it pushed your workouts to the next level and allowed you to come back bigger, stronger and faster than before.

1) Strive Starts with BCAA's...

We all know that BCAA's are the building blocks to any intra-workout formulation. BCAA's have been shown to elicit muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth), decrease muscle soreness and help athletes recover more quickly.

Sadly, however, not many people know that the wool is being pulled over their eyes in regards to what kind of BCAA's are being used to formulate their favorite product and how they are being charged a premium price for less-than-garbage quality ingredients.

...Ajinomoto iBCAA's

Quite simply, Ajinomoto produces the highest quality amino acids in the world. When you hear "pharmaceutical grade", most of the time, it is an empty marketing term. Not so with Aji-Pure iBCAA's. Strive uses the very same amino acids that are used daily around the world in IV solutions for the hospitalized, infant formulas and pharmaceutical preparations! Aji-Pure iBCAA's mix instantly with just a few stirs of a spoon. No more foamy mess and trying to choke down the dreaded BCAA chunks.

Did you know that most BCAA's being used in other formulations come from hair or duck feathers? It's true! And have you ever smelled BCAA's in their natural state? If you have, you know that they can smell absolutely rancid - even the ones that test out to be 'pure' on the standard supplier's COA. With this information in mind, you're probably asking yourself why in the world anyone would ever use anything other than pure Ajinomoto Aminos. The simple answer..."Follow the money". Aji-Pure iBCAA's cost about 2.5 times what normal BCAA's do. The fact is that not too many companies are willing to use these superior ingredients and cut their profit margins. Ask yourself, "What is more important; my health and athletic performance or some CEO writing himself a fat end-of-the-year bonus?". Now at least you know the truth!

2) The Only Hydrolyzed Protein that Matters - PeptoPro

Over the last year or so, you've probably seen a lot of companies incorporating the use of something called a hydrolyzed protein into their products. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that have undergone a process called hydrolysis. What hydrolysis does is breaks the protein down into tiny segments called di and tri peptides. These small peptides are absorbed much more readily and much faster than normal, intact protein, and have shown in clinical studies to promote muscle growth and recovery far more than normal protein ever could hope for. And you may have guessed by now, but PeptoPro has the absolute highest amounts of di and tri peptides in existence - over 60%!

Pretty cool, eh? But not so fast! Remember our greedy CEO and his unwillingness to sacrifice profits for product excellence? Well this same CEO is not using the patented Hydrolyzed Casein PeptoPro, which has numerous human clinical studies showing its superiority. No - most companies are using a generic hydrolyzed whey. Why whey? Again, follow the money. A typical hydrolyzed whey costs about 5-6 times less than the proven, patented PeptoPro. Worse still, most products using a hydrolyzed whey do not even tell you the percentage of di and tri peptides in their ingredient, only saying that information is 'proprietary'. Now if you were using an ultra-high grade ingredient, you would want to tell people about it, wouldn't you? Of course you would. Now admittedly, PeptoPro does not contain as many amino acids as a whey hydrolyze does (and the difference is absolutely miniscule at normal doses), but the fact that Pepto Pro absorbs far faster and far more efficiently than any whey currently available, still means that with PeptoPro you are delivering more amino acids to your muscles, period. PeptoPro is the undisputed king of hydrolyzed proteins, and it is backed by science.

Furthermore, PeptoPro is virtually flavorless and mixes instantly - two absolutely vital factors when drinking something that must be light and refreshing during a grueling workout. On the other hand, hydrolyzed whey (again what most companies are using) is so extremely bitter that it must be used in tiny amounts, or covered up with copious amounts of artificial flavoring. Beware of companies touting anything greater than a 15% hydrolyzed whey and it not tasting extremely bitter - something is not adding up. Besides, have you ever tried to drink a thick, bitter sludge-shake between your fourth and fifth sets of heavy squats? Forget about keeping that down! Strive has been formulated not only to be performance enhancing, but also refreshing to drink - a refreshing idea indeed!

3) Breakout With the Supplement Breakthrough L-Carnitine Tartrate

Most everyone is familiar with Acetyl L-Carnitine. Fewer, however, are familiar with L-Carnitine Tartrate. All of that may change, however, as research begins to pile up demonstrating that L-Carnitine Tartrate is superior to Acetyl L-Carnitine at helping you recover from exercise and prevent muscle breakdown.

In controlled settings, LCLT showed the ability to greatly diminish muscle cell damage and muscle soreness after exercise. LCLT works in part by halting muscle catabolism during times of intense stress (such as weightlifting) thereby allowing you to workout harder, for longer periods of time. Starting to sense a theme here with the ingredients in Strive?

LCLT has also shown promise out of the lab and in the real world. Ask anyone who has a chance to use this great ingredient and all agree that LCLT is a rockstar.

Continued...

...Continued:Keep Going With L-Malate

While not as sexy as our first three Ingredient Superstars, L-Malate is starting to turn some heads in the world of academia for its purported ability to prolong exercise endurance and stave off exhaustion.

As early as the early 1990's, researchers were administering L-Malate to patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with amazing results. They theorized that since L-Malate is a vital component to the Kreb's Cycle (also called the TCA or Citric Acid Cycle), supplementing with extra amounts of L-Malate would lead to an increase in ATP (the body's chief energy source) production.

And the researchers were right! L-Malate helps the body produce more ATP an produce it more efficiently, especially under a low oxygen conditions (hey, does this sound like anaerobic, AKA weight training conditions or what?!).

For those of you unaware, the Kreb's Cycle is the process by which our cells, and therefore entire body, obtain their energy source of choice, ATP. Think of ATP like gasoline. The more gas you have in your tank, obviously you're going to be able to drive (or in our case workout) much longer. The whole process is a little complicated, but here it is in a nutshell:

L-Malate converts into oxaloacetate, releasing the co-enzyme NADH and is ultimately used to produce ATP.

More recently, more researchers have begin to experiment with the endurance enhancing properties of L-Malate and have found, in animal models, close to a 30% increase in endurance capacity! Who's sexy now?!

While not as sexy as our first three Ingredient Superstars, L-Malate is starting to turn some heads in the world of academia for its purported ability to prolong exercise endurance and stave off exhaustion.

As early as the early 1990's, researchers were administering L-Malate to patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with amazing results. They theorized that since L-Malate is a vital component to the Kreb's Cycle (also called the TCA or Citric Acid Cycle), supplementing with extra amounts of L-Malate would lead to an increase in ATP (the body's chief energy source) production.

And the researchers were right! L-Malate helps the body produce more ATP an produce it more efficiently, especially under a low oxygen conditions (hey, does this sound like anaerobic, AKA weight training conditions or what?!).

For those of you unaware, the Kreb's Cycle is the process by which our cells, and therefore entire body, obtain their energy source of choice, ATP. Think of ATP like gasoline. The more gas you have in your tank, obviously you're going to be able to drive (or in our case workout) much longer. The whole process is a little complicated, but here it is in a nutshell:

L-Malate converts into oxaloacetate, releasing the co-enzyme NADH and is ultimately used to produce ATP.

More recently, more researchers have begin to experiment with the endurance enhancing properties of L-Malate and have found, in animal models, close to a 30% increase in endurance capacity! Who's sexy now?!

We may do a carb version down the line for serious marathon runners and such, but the primary version will be carb free.

Another idea would be to offer a separate carb blend with the same flavoring as Strive. Since so many endurance athletes want different carb amounts per hour but may not want to increase bcaa's and protein. Therefore, depending on the length of my ride I could always make the perfect blend.

Another idea would be to offer a separate carb blend with the same flavoring as Strive. Since so many endurance athletes want different carb amounts per hour but may not want to increase bcaa's and protein. Therefore, depending on the length of my ride I could always make the perfect blend.

I would prefer a carb one....Not saying I wont buy it regardless but with be bulking the rest of the year the added carbs would be nice.

There are many BCAA and intra-workout formulas currently on the market for you to choose from. The problem is, however, they all fall woefully short in providing a complete solution to help propel your workouts to be longer, stronger and more intense. Even worse is that the vast majority of these products use inferior-grade ingredients that only benefit their bottom line at the expense of your results. Why use an intra-workout product that does not work as hard as you do?

Strive is different. Formulated using only the very best ingredients in existence, Strive presents a complete performance solution designed to work as hard as you do. Absolutely no expense was spared in creating this unparalleled formula. Our only concern was constructing Strive so that it pushed your workouts to the next level and allowed you to come back bigger, stronger and faster than before.

1) Strive Starts with BCAA's...

We all know that BCAA's are the building blocks to any intra-workout formulation. BCAA's have been shown to elicit muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth), decrease muscle soreness and help athletes recover more quickly.

Sadly, however, not many people know that the wool is being pulled over their eyes in regards to what kind of BCAA's are being used to formulate their favorite product and how they are being charged a premium price for less-than-garbage quality ingredients.

...Ajinomoto iBCAA's

Quite simply, Ajinomoto produces the highest quality amino acids in the world. When you hear "pharmaceutical grade", most of the time, it is an empty marketing term. Not so with Aji-Pure iBCAA's. Strive uses the very same amino acids that are used daily around the world in IV solutions for the hospitalized, infant formulas and pharmaceutical preparations! Aji-Pure iBCAA's mix instantly with just a few stirs of a spoon. No more foamy mess and trying to choke down the dreaded BCAA chunks.

Did you know that most BCAA's being used in other formulations come from hair or duck feathers? It's true! And have you ever smelled BCAA's in their natural state? If you have, you know that they can smell absolutely rancid - even the ones that test out to be 'pure' on the standard supplier's COA. With this information in mind, you're probably asking yourself why in the world anyone would ever use anything other than pure Ajinomoto Aminos. The simple answer..."Follow the money". Aji-Pure iBCAA's cost about 2.5 times what normal BCAA's do. The fact is that not too many companies are willing to use these superior ingredients and cut their profit margins. Ask yourself, "What is more important; my health and athletic performance or some CEO writing himself a fat end-of-the-year bonus?". Now at least you know the truth!

2) The Only Hydrolyzed Protein that Matters - PeptoPro

Over the last year or so, you've probably seen a lot of companies incorporating the use of something called a hydrolyzed protein into their products. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that have undergone a process called hydrolysis. What hydrolysis does is breaks the protein down into tiny segments called di and tri peptides. These small peptides are absorbed much more readily and much faster than normal, intact protein, and have shown in clinical studies to promote muscle growth and recovery far more than normal protein ever could hope for. And you may have guessed by now, but PeptoPro has the absolute highest amounts of di and tri peptides in existence - over 60%!

Pretty cool, eh? But not so fast! Remember our greedy CEO and his unwillingness to sacrifice profits for product excellence? Well this same CEO is not using the patented Hydrolyzed Casein PeptoPro, which has numerous human clinical studies showing its superiority. No - most companies are using a generic hydrolyzed whey. Why whey? Again, follow the money. A typical hydrolyzed whey costs about 5-6 times less than the proven, patented PeptoPro. Worse still, most products using a hydrolyzed whey do not even tell you the percentage of di and tri peptides in their ingredient, only saying that information is 'proprietary'. Now if you were using an ultra-high grade ingredient, you would want to tell people about it, wouldn't you? Of course you would. Now admittedly, PeptoPro does not contain as many amino acids as a whey hydrolyze does (and the difference is absolutely miniscule at normal doses), but the fact that Pepto Pro absorbs far faster and far more efficiently than any whey currently available, still means that with PeptoPro you are delivering more amino acids to your muscles, period. PeptoPro is the undisputed king of hydrolyzed proteins, and it is backed by science.

Furthermore, PeptoPro is virtually flavorless and mixes instantly - two absolutely vital factors when drinking something that must be light and refreshing during a grueling workout. On the other hand, hydrolyzed whey (again what most companies are using) is so extremely bitter that it must be used in tiny amounts, or covered up with copious amounts of artificial flavoring. Beware of companies touting anything greater than a 15% hydrolyzed whey and it not tasting extremely bitter - something is not adding up. Besides, have you ever tried to drink a thick, bitter sludge-shake between your fourth and fifth sets of heavy squats? Forget about keeping that down! Strive has been formulated not only to be performance enhancing, but also refreshing to drink - a refreshing idea indeed!

3) Breakout With the Supplement Breakthrough L-Carnitine Tartrate

Most everyone is familiar with Acetyl L-Carnitine. Fewer, however, are familiar with L-Carnitine Tartrate. All of that may change, however, as research begins to pile up demonstrating that L-Carnitine Tartrate is superior to Acetyl L-Carnitine at helping you recover from exercise and prevent muscle breakdown.

In controlled settings, LCLT showed the ability to greatly diminish muscle cell damage and muscle soreness after exercise. LCLT works in part by halting muscle catabolism during times of intense stress (such as weightlifting) thereby allowing you to workout harder, for longer periods of time. Starting to sense a theme here with the ingredients in Strive?

LCLT has also shown promise out of the lab and in the real world. Ask anyone who has a chance to use this great ingredient and all agree that LCLT is a rockstar.

Keep Going With L-Malate

While not as sexy as our first three Ingredient Superstars, L-Malate is starting to turn some heads in the world of academia for its purported ability to prolong exercise endurance and stave off exhaustion.

As early as the early 1990's, researchers were administering L-Malate to patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with amazing results. They theorized that since L-Malate is a vital component to the Kreb's Cycle (also called the TCA or Citric Acid Cycle), supplementing with extra amounts of L-Malate would lead to an increase in ATP (the body's chief energy source) production.

And the researchers were right! L-Malate helps the body produce more ATP an produce it more efficiently, especially under a low oxygen conditions (hey, does this sound like anaerobic, AKA weight training conditions or what?!).

For those of you unaware, the Kreb's Cycle is the process by which our cells, and therefore entire body, obtain their energy source of choice, ATP. Think of ATP like gasoline. The more gas you have in your tank, obviously you're going to be able to drive (or in our case workout) much longer. The whole process is a little complicated, but here it is in a nutshell:

L-Malate converts into oxaloacetate, releasing the co-enzyme NADH and is ultimately used to produce ATP.

More recently, more researchers have begin to experiment with the endurance enhancing properties of L-Malate and have found, in animal models, close to a 30% increase in endurance capacity! Who's sexy now?!

Continued....

Buffer Fatigue With BiCarbonates

Using BiCarbonates to buffer lactic acid and prolong endurance has certainly been known for quite some time. The problem was that in order to preload your system with enough BiCarbonates, mega-doses were often used, producing annoying gastric disturbances. However, those of us in pre-hospital medicine know that BiCarbonates do not have to be pre-loaded to obtain the desired effect and an IV of sodium bicarbonate (albeit in a delivery speed not attainable by dietary supplements) perfectly mimics the effects of BiCarbonates in Strive.

As a result of working out and the metabolic processes involved, your body produced a cascade of hydrogen ions (H+). This is the stuff that causes the dreaded muscle burn that makes us all have to stop lifting or running sooner or later. Along with an increase in H+, working out generally shifts your body's pH lower and into a more acidic environment. The more acidic your blood is, the less ability your body has to buffer these acids and the faster you feel the burn and have to stop whatever you are doing. BiCarbonates will shift your body out of an acidic state, buffer the hydrogen ions and allow you to train with more intensity for longer periods of time.

Think of BiCarbonates as the hammer that drives down H+ and muscle burn. By consuming Bicarbonates during exercise and slightly raising the blood pH to a more Alkaline (opposite of Acidic) environment, the better your body is equipped to handle the H+ produced during exercise. You wouldn't go out in the snow without a coat, would you? Of course not - you'd have to quit playing and come back inside very quickly. So stop exercising without sodium and potassium bicarbonate - or else you'll never last as long as you would when using Strive.